I just started using Linux. I'm just an average guy, but I've been reading how to properly use this OS for about a week. Seems like there's an endless amount of information that I will never be able to keep up with lol.

question #1) Upon my initial installation of ubuntu 12.04 LTS I was asked to put in my user password and [check] to encrypt my home folder. I did so. I followed the instructions properly and then it said "I only need my user login and that will allow access to my encrypted home folder, and I will only need the generated password if something happens to my hard drive and I need to externally retrieve the contents[?]" It said to enter something in the Terminal (wasn't sure what) but when the password text comes up, It doesn't allow me to type anything. Now I have no Idea what the generated password is...

Question #2) This next question is similar to the first. I'm trying to download flash player for chromium through these comands:

Quote

First you need to make sure you have installed chromium browser

Now you need to install flash using the following command

sudo apt-get install flashplugin-nonfree

Now you need to copy libflashplayer.so file into /usr/lib/chromium-browser/plugins directory

Now you can run the chromium browser using the following command from terminal

chromium-browser --enable-plugins

or

Go to Applications->Internet->Chromium Browser and right click it, add to panel.Right click the new chromium icon and add the following command where it says command

chromium-browser --enable-plugins

That's it from now on you should able to view youtube or any other flash video.

But same issue when I go to the terminal to dowload the software the terminal asks for my password and it doesn't let me type anything. So I can't download the plugin

Question #3) I I downloaded the TOR browser bundle and everythings working properly. But I need to know:

is the TOR browser separate from firefox?...meaning.....

When I open TOR it says TOR broswer (at the top) and when I force open firefox (not intended to be TOR-vadilia enabled) are these 2 now seperate entities? (my ip address in firefox shows my real address and TOR browser shows fake addresses, So I'm assuming this to be true)

If I download addons/pluggins for firefox will this effect TOR when it's running? are they separate or no? I don't want to jeopardise my anonymity